What horrors are uncovered when soldiers are sent on a secret mission deep behind enemy lines to end the machinations of an autocratic despot who thinks he’s rules with divine guidance?

Author Joshua Banker releases Book Three of his Realm of Tah’afajien series.

Author Joshua Banker announces the release of his fourth full-length work, The Killing Kind. Banker’s prequel to Not Gods But Monsters is a speculative fiction novel which blends elements of science-fiction and diesel-punk fantasy to tell a story about the root causes of war and their impacts on those forced to live in the midst of an ongoing conflict. The tale serves as both a history lesson for those familiar with the series and as a starting point for readers new to the Realm of Tah’afajien.

Lieutenant Marianus O'mas thought his days with the Intelligence Division were over. He’d made it pretty clear that he was done, and yet, soldiers came for him. After a cross-country trip takes him to Commander Lynwell, O’mas discovers why he is summoned: Moa’rehnza's autocratic government has sent invaders to attack Verenigen's southern shores.

O’mas is given a dangerous assignment: to assassinate the Moa’rehnzan despot Carolus Res Ceosan and his High Council and end the unplanned war.

O'mas needs every advantage that he can find. He assembles the 12th VRF, a team of highly-skilled soldiers and militiamen. Among them are "the gifted," people with special abilities that will help them on what is most likely a suicide mission.

As the fighting to the north rages on, O'mas and his squad journey through the jungle of the Regenwald. Deep in the dense rainforest they uncover Project Ember, Moa'rehnza's darkest secret and a reason for the fighting.

Set a decade before the events of Not Gods But Monsters, The Killing Kind details a conflict with complex causes and devastating outcomes.

In writing a prequel to his first book, the author sought to bring perspective to the series’ characters and themes. On this topic, he says “The Killing Kind is both a sequel and a prequel. It fleshes out the world and provides context to events that have already happened and will eventually occur in the following sequels. I also worked to ensure that anyone new to the series could begin here, at what is the chronological starting point.”

About the Author

Author of Not Gods But Monsters and The Fifth Era of Man, Joshua Banker was born in Greece in 1973. He grew up in the San Francisco area before moving to Chattanooga where he attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and received a BFA in Graphic Design. After moving to Charlotte, NC, he ran an independent entertainment review website from 1999-2006. Now living in Greenville, NC, Josh is a writer, painter and illustrator, loves all things H.P. Lovecraft, is married and has two cats and a dog.